The present invention relates to a surgical scalpel and particularly relates to a surgical scalpel having a guard movable along the scalpel handle and blade between a protective position temporarily overlying and covering the scalpel blade and a retracted position exposing the blade for use. The invention also relates to a scalpel wherein the guard may additionally be moved into a permanent protective position permanently covering and overlying the blade.
Disposable surgical scalpels are well known in the art and often comprise a handle, typically formed of a plastic material, to which is attached either permanently or detachably, a scalpel blade. Such disposable surgical scalpels are conventionally packaged in sterile containers, e.g., flexible plastic packages or pouches. Once removed from the container, the scalpel blade is typically exposed for use. This, of course, also exposes the blade to all individuals, doctors, nurses, medical technicians, etc., associated with a surgical procedure, as well as those individuals charged with the disposal of the used scalpel. Thus, even with the exercise of great care, individuals are frequently inadvertently cut by the exposed scalpel blade. The dangers of being cut and transmission of infectious diseases when cut by a used scalpel blade are thus ever-present. Even when using scalpels having blades which are detached after use and disposed in a sharps container, those individuals handling the scalpels, blades or sharps containers remain at risk.
Surgical scalpels having sheaths affording individuals protection against being cut by exposed blades are known in the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,626, there is disclosed a sheath for a surgical scalpel which is movable between a retracted position, exposing the blade for use, and an extended position, substantially wholly enclosing the blade. This scalpel also provides a sheath movable into a third and permanently locked position overlying the blade, whereby the blade cannot be reused and individuals, including those charged with the disposal of the blade, are protected from being cut by the blade. This scalpel, however, has many drawbacks. The blade lacks stability in the hands of the surgeon because the sheath completely overlies the handle in the retracted position of the sheath which corresponds to the use position of the scalpel. That is, the surgeon must grasp the sheath, not the handle, in order to use the scalpel. There is accordingly a danger of play between the sheath and the handle when the scalpel is used by the surgeon. Further, two hands are necessary to displace this sheath between a position exposing the blade for use and its protective position. These and other disadvantages of the scalpel disclosed in that patent will become apparent from reference to the following description of the present invention.
According to the present invention, there is provided a novel and improved disposable scalpel including a handle having a scalpel blade permanently secured adjacent one end of the handle and projecting therefrom, and a guard movable between positions exposing the scalpel blade for use, and a protective position temporarily covering the blade. In a further embodiment, the guard is also movable into a protective position permanently covering the blade. The scalpel handle also includes a slot opening through and between the opposite sides of the handle to facilitate sliding movement of the guard along the handle and latching or detenting of the guard in its various positions along the handle. In accordance with one form of the present invention, the guard comprises a pair of side guard members overlying opposite sides of, i.e., straddling, the handle and connected one to the other by an element passing through the slot in the handle. The side guard members are also connected one to the other adjacent the lower sides of their opposite ends to maintain the side members in predetermined spaced relation to one another. This latter connection prevents the side members from spreading apart and entry of a human digit between the side members in the area of the scalpel blade. Importantly, the upper or top edge of the guard is completely open between the two side members, exposing the upper edge of the handle and enabling it to project above the upper edges of the side members. In this manner, the upper edge of the handle may be engaged by one or more of the surgeon's fingers whereby direct finger control of the scalpel handle and blade during use is provided and without interference from the guard. It will also be appreciated from the ensuing description and the drawing figures that the element passing through the slot is shaped for cooperation with the margins of the slot to maintain the guard in positions straddling the handle in all positions of the guard along the handle. That is, the element and slot cooperate to prevent the guard from pivoting in the plane of the handle.
The guard is also detented in each of its positions by a unique cooperation of the element connecting the side members of the guard one to the other in the slot and one or more detenting or locking members formed within the slot of the handle. In this first embodiment of the invention, the guard is movable between a protective position overlying the blade and a retracted position exposing the blade for use. Thus, in this first embodiment and when the guard is in its protective position covering the blade, the forward edge of the element is engaged against the forward end wall of the slot. A spring biased finger engages the rear edge of the element to maintain the guard in its protective position. By displacing the guard rearwardly to expose the blade for use, the element displaces the finger out of the way, enabling the guard to be located in its retracted position with the rear edge of the element engaging against the rear end wall of the slot. In that position, a second finger engages the forward edge of the element, maintaining the guard in the retracted position. The guard can thus be moved between the retracted position and its protective position simply by sliding the guard in opposite directions along the handle, the fingers being cammed out of the way of and by the element during the sliding movement. The element and hence the guard is detented by the respective fingers in each of the protective and retracted positions.
In a second embodiment hereof, a single finger formed within the slot cooperates with the element to maintain the guard detented in each of its retracted and temporary positions as well as in a permanent protective position. In its temporary protective position, the finger has a cam follower surface engaging the rear edge of the element to prevent rearward sliding movement of the guard relative to the handle. A smaller finger along the opposite side of the slot adjacent its forward end engages the forward edge of the element to prevent the guard from sliding forwardly from its temporary protective position into its forwardmost permanent protective position. The guard is slidable rearwardly into its retracted position by sliding the element along the slot and biasing the first-mentioned finger outwardly. When the element engages the rear end of the slot, a second cam follower surface on the first finger engages the forward edge of the slot to detent the guard in its retracted position.
To move the guard into its permanent locking position, the guard is moved forwardly past its temporary protective position and against the bias of the small finger at the forward end of the slot into its permanent locking protective position. The first finger resiliently bears against the element during its forward sliding movement until the guard reaches its permanently locked position. At that time, the first finger is biased into the slot and into the rearward path of movement of the element, thereby locking the guard in its forwardmost permanent protective position. These locking means, including the first finger and the small forward finger, lie wholly within the confines of the slot of the handle. Thus, no lateral or transverse movement is required to move the guard or detent it in its protective or retracted positions.
In a third embodiment hereof, a pair of forwardmost finger locks, rear finger detents forwardly extending locking fingers are provided in the slot and, in conjunction with the previously described small forward finger, maintain the guard in the retracted, temporary protective and permanently locked positions. This form is used where large scalpel blades are necessary, hence a longer slot.
The final disclosed embodiment of the present scalpel includes a one-piece molded guard having side members, each of which has a pin for projecting inwardly within the slot in the scalpel handle. One side member also includes adjacent its pin a pair of inwardly projecting latching detents, while the opposite side member adjacent its pin includes a single inwardly projecting latching detent. The handle slot in this embodiment has a longitudinally extending central rib defining a pair of tracks along its opposite sides. A raised catch or projection extends along one of the tracks. In this form, the pins and latching detents of the side members are inserted into the opposite sides of the handle slot with the latching detents engaging on opposite sides of the central rib and the handle. The latching detents therefore maintain the side members along opposite sides of the handle, preventing their lateral outward movement away from one another and the handle. The pins also engage between the opposite sides of the handle slot, including the central rib for guiding the guard along the handle and preventing pivotal movement of the guard relative to the handle in the plane of the handle.
In this form, the guard is similarly movable between a retracted use position for the scalpel, a temporary protective position and a permanent locked position overlying the scalpel blade. To accomplish this, inwardly depending fingers are disposed at opposite ends of the slot for engaging over the pins. Thus, in the retracted position of the guard, the pin on one of the side members is located in the end of the slot past the finger, which retains the guard in the retracted position. When the guard is moved forwardly along the slot, the forwardmost pin engages beyond the forwardmost finger and the forwardmost latching detent engages the catch along the handle track, temporarily preventing further movement of the guard in the forward direction relative to the handle. The pin of the opposite side member prevents rearward movement of the guard relative to the handle. To locate the guard in a permanent protective position relative to the scalpel blade, the guard is pushed forwardly from the temporary position into the permanent position, with the first latching detent riding over the catch whereby the catch is disposed between the pair of latching detents on the one side member, preventing movement of the guard in either longitudinal direction. Note in this embodiment that the latching detents of each side member maintain the side members closely adjacent the handle.
The scalpel of the present invention affords various additional advantages and features in comparison with conventional scalpels including those with protective sheaths. For example, the upper edge of the handle of the scalpel blade, as discussed previously, is fully exposed in all positions of the guard so that control of the cutting edge by the surgeon may be maintained by direct finger contact with the scalpel handle during use. The elongation of the element, in one embodiment, and the pins of the still further embodiment described above, each projecting into the slot, prevents the guard from pivoting in the plane of the handle from the positions straddling the handle and blade. Moreover, the guard is slidable along the handle between all positions using only one hand. It does not require two hands to move the guard between its protective and retracted positions. Further, the guard is slidable between retracted and temporary protective positions multiple times, whereby the scalpel may be used, set aside with the guard in its temporary protective position, and then reused with the guard movable again into its retracted position. Still further, the construction of the handle and guard may be of all plastic material whereby the scalpel may be formed and assembled inexpensively. In the first embodiment, the guard is a two-piece molded construction, while in the last embodiment described above, the guard may be of a one-piece molded construction.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a surgical scalpel blade, comprising an elongated scalpel handle having a slot opening through and between opposite sides of the handle, a scalpel blade carried by the handle adjacent one end thereof and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle between a protective position covering the blade and a retracted position exposing the blade for use. The guard includes side members overlying opposite sides of the handle, respectively, and has an element connecting the side members one to the other and disposed in the slot. The element is movable along the slot in response to sliding movement of the guard relative to the handle between the protective and retracted positions. A locking member is carried by the handle in the slot for engaging the element in the protective position of the guard relative to the handle for releasably maintaining the guard in the protective position thereof and movable to enable the guard to move from the protective position toward the retracted position. Means are carried by the handle and cooperable with the element in the retracted position of the guard to releasably maintain the guard in the retracted position relative to the handle.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a surgical scalpel blade, comprising an elongated scalpel handle having a slot opening through and between opposite sides of the handle, a scalpel blade carried by the handle adjacent one end thereof, a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle in a first direction from a temporary protective position covering the blade into a retracted position exposing the blade for use and in a second direction opposite the first direction from the temporary protective position into a permanent protective position covering the blade. The guard includes an element disposed in the slot and movable therealong in response to sliding movement of the guard relative to the handle in the first and second directions. A locking member is carried by the handle in the slot for engaging and releasably detenting the element in the temporary protective position of the guard relative to the handle and movable to enable the guard to move in the first direction from the temporary protective position toward the retracted position and in the second direction into the temporary protective position. The locking member is movable to engage the element in the permanent protective position to prevent movement of the guard relative to the handle in the first direction thereby to permanently lock the guard in the permanent protective position.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a surgical scalpel blade, comprising an elongated scalpel handle having elongated top and bottom edges and guide surfaces, a scalpel blade carried by the handle adjacent one end thereof and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle between a protective position covering the blade and a retracted position exposing the blade for use. The guard has an element engageable with the guide surfaces of the handle and movable along the handle in response to sliding movement of the guard relative to the handle between the protective and retracted positions and has discrete side members unconnected one to the other along at least one of the top and bottom edges of the handle, leaving one edge free for engagement by a finger of a user of the scalpel. A locking member is carried by the handle for engaging the element in the protective position of the guard relative to the handle for releasably maintaining the guard in the protective position thereof and movable to enable the guard to move from the protective position toward the retracted position and means are carried by the handle and cooperable with the element in the retracted position of the guard to releasably maintain the guard in the retracted position relative to the handle.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a surgical scalpel blade, comprising an elongated scalpel handle having a slot opening through and between opposite sides of the handle, a scalpel blade carried by the handle adjacent one end thereof and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle between a protective position covering the blade and a retracted position exposing the blade for use. The guard includes side members overlying the opposite sides of the handle, respectively, with the guard carrying locking means disposed in the slot and movable along the slot in response to sliding movement of the guard relative to the handle. A locking member is carried by the handle in the slot for engaging the locking means in the protective position of the guard relative to the handle for releasably locking the guard in the protective position thereof and movable to enable the guard to move from the protective position toward the retracted position. Means are carried by the handle and cooperable with the locking means in the retracted position of the guard to releasably maintain the guard in the retracted position relative to the handle.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a surgical scalpel blade, comprising an elongated scalpel handle having a slot opening through and between opposite sides of the handle, a scalpel blade carried by the handle adjacent one end thereof and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle between a protective position covering the blade and a retracted position exposing the blade for use. The guard includes side members overlying the opposite sides of the handle, respectively, each side member including a guide projecting inwardly therefrom into the slot for guiding the guard and the handle relative to one another in response to sliding movement of the guard relative to the handle between the protective and retracted positions, the guides being disposed at longitudinally spaced positions relative to one another along the slot. A pair of longitudinally spaced locking fingers are carried by the handle in the slot for engaging the guides, respectively, in the protective and retracted positions of the guard relative to the handle, one of the locking fingers being engageable with one of the guides to releasably maintain the guard in the protective position thereof, the other of the locking fingers being engageable with the other of the guides to releasably maintain the guard in the retracted position relative to the handle. Means are provided extending into the slot from each of the side members and are engageable with the handle for preventing displacement of the side members laterally outwardly in a direction away from the handle.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disposable scalpel with a guard movable between a retracted position exposing the scalpel blade for use, and a temporary protective position overlying and covering the blade, protecting individuals from the blade, and, in another form, a permanent protective position overlying and covering the blade whereby the guard cannot be removed from its permanent protective position without effectively destroying the scalpel per se or the guard.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings.